Altimeter



Aug.1s, 1944.y I A. MENZER 2,355,990

ALTIMETER Filed April 3o, 1941 INVENTOR Hulon Menzel' f4@ @ff/@wm ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1944 Anton Menzel', Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner of one-f` half to Adolf Fischer, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application anni so, 1941, sralNooinso 1v claim. `(cifra-e1) This invention relates to a new and useful sensitive altimeter, particularly intended for vindicating altitudes in aircraft, and it is one vof the objects of my invention to provide such an altimeter using one hand or pointer only to permit at a glance a more directreading of the altitudes in thousands and multiples thereof, and thus doing away with the use of two hands or pointers, and the calculations based on their various indications necessitated thereby, thus positively avoiding eventually disastrous errors caused by errors iny these calculations.

stm another object of my invention is the pro` Vision of any altimeter of comparatively .simple` provision of an altimeter of this type having its. diaphragm equipped with various means for coml pensating the viniuences of changes in temperature on the diaphragm.

These and other objects and advantages of myd` invention will become more fully known as the description thereof proceeds and will then be more specifically defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of an alti-l meter constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

As illustrated, in the casing 48 a frame 49 is arranged in which a spindle 58 is rotatably journaled to be operated by means of knob 5| or the like from the outside of the casing.

The lower end of spindle 50 carries a gear 54 located below a lower branch 53 of frame 49. The gear 54 meshes with a gear 55 secured to the lower end of a threaded rod 56 journaled in the branch 53. A flanged nut 58 is threaded on rod 56. The flange of nut 58 has an opening through which extends a guide rod 51 which is secured at its lower end in branch 53. The guide rod 51 prevents the nut 58 from turning when the threaded rod 56 is rotated. A portion of the flange on nut 58 extends in a groove within collar 59 or the like carried by a pinion 6| rotatably journaled on a shaft 68. The shaft 68 is journaled at its lower end in branch 53, and at its upper end in another branch 63 of frame 49. The shaft 60 is provided with a spiral groove 62 along its outer face. Two pins 60 and 60" secured to anddownward movementof the. p iniopi, If th spindle 58 be turned clockwise or anticlockwise,

n the gear 54 in mesh with gear 55 willturn thread. ed rod 5,6 causing the:Y flanged nut` 58 to be elevated or lowered, and. by reason of the flange of the nut extendinginto the groove of collar 5 9 to likewise elevate or lower the pinion 6|. The'. g pins 60 and 68 of pinion 6| will travel along the'l spiral groove@ of 'ola-ft 6 0 and, turn the same.v "A gear lillV is ,Secured to the Shaft 5U' near its upper end- This gear is in mesh with o pinon'l 1I s eouredto a `shaft 12 journaled at its lower enclin alpearing 13 and near its upper eiidn a 'frame member 13'.

. The upper end of sharm; cal' an ndClOI-hrmd movable over g, suitable graduated dial 3|.Y

,Tlievspindle carries above the branch. .630f

frame 4.9 a smaller gear mesh With o gear 5G on a staff'l journaled in, an erm of the from? member 13'..V The staff 61 Carries o diso Whose upper surface oarriessrodllatons representing barometric pressure mailings, and adapted tores-f ister with a suitableirruex merle These graduations are viewable through er1. .opening .69` in dial 3| and a transparent closure plate l0 for Casing 48.

Below the dial 3|, the shaft 12 carries a gear 14 in mesh with the gear teeth on the periphery of disc 28. The upper surface of disc 28 carries graduations with suitable numbers representing thousands of feet or meters of altitude. These indicia are viewable through an opening 32 in dial 3| and the transparent closure plate 10.

A staff 15 is journaled at its lower end in a bearing 16 of the casing and at its upper end in bearing 13. In order to provide temperature compensation at the Zero indication of the altimeter, a bi-metallic strip 11 or the like is engaged with the stai 15 by means of suitable fastening means 18, 19 connected by means of a member 88. The other end of the strip 11 is connected, as shown in Figure 2, by means of a link or rod 8|1 also of bi-metal to the diaphragm arrangement generally designated 82. A gear sector 83 is attached to shaft 15 which meshes with pinion 6| for actuation of the same when the shaft 15 is turned. A hair spring 83 is fastened to a post 84 at one end, and with its other end engages the shaft 60.

The device operates as follows:

If an airplane flies from a place of higher elevation to one of lower elevation, or vice-Versa, the dial indicating the barometric pressure is set by the proper manipulation of the knob 5|, and

spindle 50 to indicate the barometric pressure prevailing at the place of destination, as per advice received from said place. By turning the spindle 58 clockwise or anticlockwise, the gear 54 which is in mesh with gear 55 will turn the threaded rod 56 and cause the flanged nut 58 to be elevated or lowered and because the ange of the nut extends into the groove of the collar 59 the pinion 6I will elevate or lower the same as the case may be. Consequently, asV the pinslll and 685 of the pinion travel in the spiral groove 62 of the shaft 60,

the same will be turned to turn gear 64. In the meantime, the spindle 50 carrying a small gear 65 which is in mesh with a gear 66 on the staff 61 which carries a disc 68 whose upper surface rangement and in the construction of its minor details as come within the scope of the appended claim Without departure from the spirit of the invention and the principles involved.

Having thus described my' invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A settable altimeter comprising a casing, a frame in said casing having upper and lower branch arms, a spindle extending from outside the casing and journaled in said branch arms, a

v hand knob on the spindle outside the casing, a

train of gears operatively connected to the spindle adjacent the lower branch arm, a shaft having carries graduations representing balvom'etricjpre'sfY sure readings adapted to register with a suitable index mark, and in this manner the disc 68 can a spiral groove journaled in said upper and lower branch arms, a pinion slidable on said shaft, a

collar rhaving a groove on said pinion, pins on j saidgpinion engaging said spiral groove for travel be turned to indicate the barometric pressures prevailing.

parent closure'plate10. As now the gear 64 is; in mesh with'a pinion 1l secured lto the shaft`12 the lower end of which is journaled in a bearing 13 in which is also journaled the upper end of av staff 15 the lower end of which is'vjournaledin. a bearing 16 of the casing for the device, and a bimetallic strip 11 is connected to staff 15 by means of a member 88' at one end whilelits other end is connected by a bi-metallic link 8| toa diaphragm arrangement 182 respondingto anyY changes in the barometric pressure by the inter-'` mediary of the connection 83 with the pinion 6I, the rotationA of pinion 1l will impart to shaft-..12 a rotary motion, and as the same carries below dial.3l a gear 14 in mesh with' the 'gearteeth on'l the periphery of the disc 28, the `upper surface of. which carries graduationsr with` suitable lnumbers representing thousands of fe'etor meters altitude, which become visible through thev opening 32 in dial 3| andthe transparent closure plate 10 andA any changes in altitude will be indicated com- These indications are then Visible through the opening in the dial 3| and the trans-v therealong, a threaded rod journaled in the lower branch arm and rotatable by said train of gears, a flanged nut on said rod engaging with its flange the'groove of said collar to elevateand lower said pinion during rotationv of said threaded rod, a guide rod secured to the lower branch arm and extending through an opening in the ilange of said nut for preventing the nut from rotating when the threaded rod is rotated by the spindle through said train of gears, a gear secured to the spirally grooved shaft :near its upperend, an'indicator shaft mounted in said casing carrying a gear*k in meshv with the gear on said -spirally grooved shaft, a pointerjcarried` bythe indicator' bearing barometric graduations will indicatek through the opening in themain dial the barometric pressure for which the altimeter is set.

ANTON MENZER. 

